Lomas holds event linking learning and the brain with movement

Kyrene de las Lomas Elementary School held its first Brain Power Night Tuesday, showing parents how movement and academics fit together.

About 200 families attended the event, held in the school's multipurpose room, and participated in six different activities, including Vertical Math, Run and Spell, ABC Pathways, Step up to Reading, Dollars and Cents Relay and Calculator Math.

The idea for the event, which integrates literacy, math and physical education, stemmed from a $128,214 P.E. pilot grant the school received this year through the Arizona Department of Education, said literacy coach Margo Miller.

The school's main goal with the grant money was to increase physical activity time during the school day.

"They've done a lot of research with movement and how it reinforces academic skills," Miller said. "Movement makes it more concrete with the kids and reinforces their learning. Some of the teachers are even incorporating these activities into their classrooms, too."

During recess, students participate in activities based off the Active and Healthy Schools (AHS) program. Zones are set up for different activities that change weekly, and grant money was spent on equipment needed for the activities.

The AHS program is also used in the classroom. For example, teachers use a set of activity break cards with witch they do short breaks in class using equipment also bought with grant money.

Third-grade teacher Laura Jean Curley said she uses activity breaks two to three times daily.

"Forty-five minutes to an hour into the school day we do a brain break," Curley said. "Breaks are 30 seconds to a couple of minutes long and they get the brain recharged and ready to learn again."

Grant money was also used for new P.E. equipment and, largely, for professional development.

Co-founder of Action Based Learning Jean Blaydes-Madigan made a presentation to Lomas staff that ultimately pulled together everything the school is trying to do with incorporating movement and academics.

Blaydes-Madigan said when humans exercise for 30 minutes, positive changes happen in the brain and body that increase student performance. The opposite of exercise, however, inhibits learning because when a human sits for longer than about 17 minutes blood begins to pool in the hamstrings and calf muscles, pulling needed oxygen and glucose from the brain.

According to Blaydes-Madigan, because the brain thinks it's at rest, the learner becomes lethargic, sleepy and unfocused.

Miller said the presentation was well attended by Lomas teachers.

For more information, visit www.actionbasedlearning.com.